Nok`s recipe

Seafood Suki Stir-Fry: The Dry & Delicious Edition
🍜 Suki Haeng: The Hot Pot That Became a Stir-Fry

1. The Foreign Foundation: Hot Pot (Mid-20th Century)

The Chinese/Japanese Link: Thai Suki originated in Bangkok in the mid-1950s. It was an adaptation of hot pot, drawing inspiration from both Chinese communal dining (Chinese Hot Pot) and the catchier Japanese name (Sukiyaki).
The Thai Adaptation: Thai-Chinese restaurateurs created a version where diners cooked meat, seafood, noodles, and vegetables in a light, mild broth at the table.
The Secret Weapon: The true innovation was the dipping sauce (Nam Jim Suki). This sauce was intensely Thai—spicy, garlicky, and tangy, deriving its unique orange-red color and funky flavor from fermented red bean curd (a Chinese ingredient adapted to the Thai palate). The sauce was the main selling point.

2. The Evolution: From Pot to Bowl to Wok

Thai Suki evolved into three main forms, each using the exact same signature sauce:

Suki (Nam) สุกี้น้ำ (The Soup): The original communal hot pot dish.
Suki Nam สุกี้แห้ง (The Single-Serving Soup): The ingredients are cooked and served as a savory noodle soup in an individual bowl.
Suki Haeng สุกี้แห้ง (The Dry Stir-Fry): This is your dish! Chefs took the ingredients (meat/seafood, glass noodles, cabbage, Chinese celery) and instead of serving them in broth, they tossed everything in a screaming hot wok with the Suki Sauce and usually an egg.

3. The Stir-Fry is Born (The "Haeng" Factor)

When: The dry stir-fry version became popular as a quick, flavorful street food and restaurant dish, likely emerging in the late 20th century.
The Appeal: It offers all the complex, spicy, and garlicky flavors of the beloved Suki Sauce without the liquid. It's fast, satisfying, and a delicious way to consume the rich sauce without needing a whole simmering pot.
Seafood (Thale): The "Seafood Edition" is natural, as fresh shrimp, squid, and fish balls are staple ingredients in both the original hot pot and the dry stir-fry.

In summary, Seafood Suki Stir-Fry is a third-generation Thai dish that stripped away the soup and used the potent, unique, and deeply Thai Suki dipping sauce as its quick, high-heat stir-fry coating.

That covers the history of this fascinating dish! Would you be interested in the history of the fermented red bean curd that gives the Suki Sauce its unique flavor?

💥 Seafood Suki Stir-Fry: The Dry & Delicious Edition

This recipe is fast, furious, and full of flavor. Forget the soup, we're going DRY!

🧑‍🍳 What You'll Need (The Cast of Characters):

The Essentials:

150g Glass Noodles (Wun Sen): Give them a quick soak in hot water until they are tender and translucent (about 5-7 minutes), then drain well. They are the star! 🌟
100g Mixed Seafood: Prawns, squid, fish balls—whatever floats your boat! 🦐🦑
1 Large Egg: Our binding agent and protein booster. 🥚
1 cup Morning Glory (Pak Boong) or Chinese Cabbage: Chop it up into bite-sized pieces. These veggies love the heat! 🥬
2 cloves Garlic: Finely chopped. The aromatic foundation.

The Sauce of Power (Suki Sauce):

3-4 Tbsp Thai Suki Sauce (Nam Jim Suki): This is non-negotiable! Buy a good bottle—it brings the whole dish to life. 🔥
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce: For that deep umami hug.
1 tsp Soy Sauce or Light Soy Sauce: A little salty goodness.
1 tsp Sugar: Just to balance the spicy/savory dance.
1/4 cup Chicken Stock or Water: To keep things moist but not soggy.

🔥 Let's Get Stir-Frying! (The Action Scene):

Heat the Wok! Get your wok or large frying pan smoking hot over medium-high to high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
Aromatic Attack! Toss in your chopped garlic. Stir-fry for about 15-20 seconds until it smells heavenly (but doesn't burn!).
Seafood Splash! Throw in your mixed seafood. Stir-fry until they are almost cooked through. (Prawns turn pink, squid curls up.)
Egg Time! Push the seafood to one side of the pan. Crack the egg into the empty space. Scramble it quickly, then mix it in with the seafood.
Veggie Power-Up! Add your Morning Glory or Cabbage. Stir-fry aggressively for about 30 seconds. You want them tender-crisp, not wilted! 💪
Noodle & Sauce Shower! Now, toss in the soaked and drained Glass Noodles. Immediately pour in your pre-mixed Suki Sauce.
The Grand Finale! Stir-fry everything like a pro chef! Keep tossing and mixing until the noodles are fully coated in the reddish-brown Suki sauce and everything is piping hot. If it looks too dry, splash in a tiny bit of the chicken stock/water.

🍽️ Serve It Up!

Dish it onto a plate immediately. Sprinkle with a dash of chopped cilantro if you're feeling fancy.

Tada! You just made a delicious, savory, slightly spicy, and deeply satisfying Thai Suki Stir-fry! Enjoy your masterpiece! 🎉

Nok - Kusuma Pongmetha, her Swedish husband and SVT Television`s reporter, BORLANGE CITY, SWEDEN

💥 From Nurse to Nordic Entrepreneur: Nok’s Journey of Resilience in Sweden 💥

Meet Nok (Kusuma Phongmetha), a woman who embodies the sheer resilience and quiet strength of Thai women forging new paths across the globe. At 51, Nok isn't just "surviving" in the small, charming Swedish city of Borlänge—she is "thriving." Her story is a powerful reminder that no matter where you start, or how many times life forces you to hit the reset button, true grit always wins.

A Fresh Start, A Hard Zero (Or Below)

Before the snow and the long Swedish nights arrived, Nok was a professional success in Thailand. A proud graduate nurse from the prestigious Khon Kaen University, she spent two decades running a hospital business. Her move to Sweden began for love, but her arrival quickly taught her a harsh lesson: diplomas don't speak Swedish.

Nok immediately faced the reality of starting from "zero, or even below zero." Although her nursing knowledge was highly valued, the language requirement for re-certification was intense, and specialized courses were only available in major cities like Stockholm. She made a tough, family-centric decision: she chose not to relocate to the capital.

Instead of despairing, Nok rolled up her sleeves. Her initial jobs in Sweden were far removed from a hospital floor, including cleaning, house painting, and even picking and selling wild forest berries. These honest, physically demanding jobs were what kept her afloat and helped her build a strong foundation for her new life.

The Turning Point: When Love Ended Upon Arrival

Nok's life path in Sweden was not paved with roses. Immediately after she arrived in the country to start a life with her Swedish boyfriend of over seven years, the relationship abruptly broke down.

While Nok was processing her permanent visa for over 19 months, the man met another woman in Thailand. Shortly after Nok arrived in Sweden, he confessed that his feelings had changed and they couldn't continue. This was a painful abandonment. She had to accept the truth and decided to move cities to start a new life entirely on her own.

But life often holds tests and justice. Just a few months later, her ex-partner attempted to reconcile after discovering that the new woman he chose was not serious and had used a considerable amount of his money. However, Nok's heart was too strong to return to the painful environment of the past. She said: "It's okay. I have a job now. I can manage." This decision truly showcases the pride and independence of Thai women.

Finding Love & Safety in Business and Family

Subsequently, Nok found true love in Borlänge with her current husband, Tor Björn.

Together, they established a business that provides both income and security: a Thai massage clinic. Nok openly acknowledges the "grey and dark business" that sometimes taints the Thai massage industry in Europe. However, running the clinic alongside Tor Björn—who is also a practicing masseur—provides a shield.

"I feel safe," Nok says. Tor Björn is her protector, standing by her side to manage clients and ensure they only provide legitimate health services, allowing her to maintain a "white-collar" standard in the industry.

A Vision for Thai Youth: This commitment to providing a secure and beneficial future extends beyond their business. Tor Björn, having witnessed Nok's journey and the challenges her daughter faced initially, holds a deep respect for the potential of Thai youth. He strongly advocates for the opportunities Sweden offers, especially in education. Tor Björn believes that the high-quality, stable learning environment and the generally healthy social atmosphere in Sweden offer a significantly better springboard for Thai children seeking a brighter future. Their shared vision is to see more Thai families benefit from the safety and opportunities found in the Nordic country.

Nok's Empowerment Message: Study, Learn, and Be Independent

As an established Thai woman in Sweden, Nok's advice to her compatriots is clear and empowering: Never rely on hearsay.

"Don't trust the benchmarks of 5 or 10 years ago," she warns. "The laws change all the time. Do not trust other Thai people blindly; research directly with the official agencies about visas, education, and labor laws."

Her message is one of self-reliance and critical thinking, encouraging Thai women to utilize modern tools like AI for translation and verification to protect themselves from misinformation and scammers.

For the non-Thai community, she simply asks for respect and understanding: Thai people are fundamentally "kind, simple, and calm," and they should be judged as individuals.

A Taste of Home

Despite her success, there are still small things Nok misses about Thailand. Her ultimate culinary comfort food is Stir-fried Seafood Suki (Pad Suki Haeng Talay). This dish, which she shares with her daughter, connects her to her roots in Mahachai (Samut Sakhon), a coastal town she praises for having some of the freshest, most flavorful ingredients in all of Thailand.

Nok’s life is a testament to the powerful combination of a warm Thai heart and a fiercely independent spirit. From the lowest point to the pinnacle of life abroad, she proves that the strength of Thai women knows no limits.

Read her stories from Swedish medias:

Click SVT Television

Click SverigeRadio

Click Scandasia Magazine

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